Coventry's slide continued with another self-inflicted defeat in a performance branded ?a disgrace? by chairman Keith Fair-brother.

After another first half spent largely on the back foot, Cov seemed well on their way to maximum points when they swept into a 19-9 lead with two tries in the first eight minutes of the second half.

But slack defending let in Bedford for their only try of the game six minutes later, and with full-back James - whose 20 points took him back to the top of the division?s scoring table - capitalising on almost every chance he was given by Cov?s indiscipline, a 16-point burst in just nine minutes turned the game on its head.

Luke Smith levelled the scores with a penalty from the ten-metre line 12 minutes from the end of normal time, but Pritchard inevitably had the last word, in the third minute of injury-time, with his sixth successful penalty when Julian Horrobin was rather harshly whistled up for a high tackle on replacement centre Paul Baird.

It was another frustrating afternoon all round for the Coventry faithful and with main club sponsors Peugeot attending in force, Fairbrother felt it more than anyone.

?It?s a disgrace,? he said. ?To go 19-6 up and then lose a game like that is unforgivable.

?Bedford aren?t that good a side and their pack is nothing, yet we couldn?t stop their rolling mauls. A missed tackle for their try cost us the game, but too many of our players weren?t performing.?

The pattern of the first 40 minutes was one that has become all too familiar in recent weeks with the opposition pouring forward and Cov only staying in the game courtesy of some outstanding defence.

Pritchard kicked two early penalties, but flanker Shaun Brady - looking more effective at open side with every game - lit up the half with a superb training-ground try on 14 minutes when he tok the ball at pace as it was moved down the line from a line-out and sliced through to the posts, Smith converting.

Cov survived ten minutes without skipper Mark Tinnock, sin binned for an off-side, and reached the break with an unlikely 7-6 lead when Pritchard missed a stoppage time penalty.

They looked a different side after the restart with incisive running, secure handling and a patient build-up bringing tries for Ally McLean, which Smith converted from wide out on the left, and Alan Mitchell - coming in when Lee Rust was ruled out by a virus - near the clubhouse corner.

But instead of consolidating, they let the visitors back in in spectacular style - Pritchard kicking a penalty, converting when former England winger Spencer Brown got past Simon Frost to cross by the posts, and then putting over two more penalties.

Seven minutes later Smith put Cov back on terms, Bedford wing Ben Whetstone was followed to the sin bin by Jim Hadfield - again for off-side - and with Trevor Revan on the field from the next scrum, both sides probed for an opening before Pritchard landed his final kick.

It all leaves Cov with a mountain to climb at in-form London Welsh this weekend if they are to resurrect a season that is going nowhere fast.